The present invention relates to an apparatus for stimulation of a muscle in the human body using at least one stimulus producer designed to be implanted in the muscle, a receiver and a power supply for the receiver, a number of electrodes for output of stimulation signals and for the supply to the muscle at different points thereof of stimulus pulses which are exactly defined with respect to the order, the amplitude, the length and form of the pulses, such pulses causing a muscle contraction which takes place as naturally as possible.
Such an apparatus may be used, more speciallly, for overcoming signs of paralysis or the like which are physiological in nature. A programmable stimulation apparatus for human tissue has been designed in the prior art, in the case of which, using an external controller and an implanted receiver, stimulus signals are produced in a cyclical order (as preprogrammed by the stimulus producer) at a number of electrodes implanted at positions in the tissue, where stimulation is to take place, such electrodes being wired up with the stimulus producer. With such a system, after writing a program, it is possible to make a desired motion of the muscles for a certain form of motion of the body to take place by operation of a switch and such motion may be repeated. By "patching" the program, changed muscular motion may be produced. Not only for starting the muscle reaction, but furthermore controlling it as it takes place, switching or adjustment parts have to be worked by the patient or his doctor. Furthermore, wires, which have to be implanted, for joining the stimulus electrodes with the stimulus producer are likely to break down after being used for a long time. A patient with the known apparatus is furthermore only able to take a small controller around with him to be used. Furthermore, its stimuli produced causing motion are very limited and, in fact, more complex motions may only be produced by a stationary controller which is not able to be moved. The circuit of this known apparatus is covered by a detailed account given in German Offenlegungsschrift specification 2,803,366. The known apparatus is, generally speaking, such that its operation is very limited if it is a question of producing voluntary motion of the muscles.